APNewsBreak: Gov reimburses state for plane usage

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Story Created: Oct 7, 2012 at 12:15 PM EDT

Story Updated: Oct 9, 2012 at 7:15 AM EDT

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley has repaid about $10,000 for using state planes to attend news conferences and bill signings, calling it an unintended oversight.

Haley's spokesman says her office was unaware legislators put a clause in the budget last year that added the restrictions. She returned $9,590 on Friday to the agency that operates the state's two taxpayer-funded planes. The reimbursement covers flights taken across the state over seven days.

Statewide officers and legislators can use the planes for free on a first-come, first-served basis, as long as the trips are official business.

Spokesman Rob Godfrey notes the flights involved her official duties.

However, they broke a rule added in April 2011 specifying that bill signings, press conferences and political functions don't count as official business.